Galatasaray out to break Kadıköy jinx

Galatasaray out to break Kadıköy jinx

ISTANBUL

Galatasaray wants to end a 17-year jinx when it travels to the Asian side of Istanbul for a Spor Toto Super League game on Nov. 20.

The club’s last victory at the Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium was in 1999, when it beat Fenerbahçe 2-1 in a league game on Dec. 22, and has not been able to win in the 20 official games at the venue since.

In those 20 games, three of which were domestic cup games, Fenerbahçe won 14 and six ended in draws.

While the home side scored 41 goals in those 14 victories, Galatasaray only netted 14 times.

Fenerbahçe President Aziz Yıldrım is sure of another victory against the club’s archrival.

“There is a 17-year tradition and this will continue into the 18th, 19th and 20th years,” Yıldırım told reporters on Nov. 17.

When asked about the lack of hardworking midfielders Mehmet Topal and Lens, who will be out due to injuries, Yıldırım sounded confident.

“We beat them 6-0 at a time when we were at our worst,” said the chairman, recalling a league game played on Nov. 6, 2002, in which nine-man Fenerbahçe got its biggest ever victory against Galatasaray.

The game will also see Galatasaray supporters traveling to the Şükrü Saraçoğlu for the first time in five years, with the visiting side’s chairman calling for “restraint.”

“Considering the period Turkey is currently going through, we know we need peace at every level,” Dursun Özbek told reporters on Nov. 16.

“There is no doubt that it will be a friendly derby and I will be in the stadium to contribute to this,” Özbek added.

Galatasaray currently sits third in the league standings, six points behind leader Başakşehir and two points ahead of fifth-placed Fenerbahçe.

Second-placed Beşiktaş, meanwhile, travels to Adana on Nov. 19, with the home side hungry for points to climb up from the bottom of the league.

“We have analyzed their playing style and I will share them with my players,” Adanaspor coach Krunoslav Jurcic said.

“We can say that Beşiktaş’s game is usually built on Quaresma, especially trying to make a difference based on his quality by leaving him on the line. We have to give our maximum if we want to get points,” he added.